Navigation device and method for providing parking place availability

• US 9,857,182 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V. (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Huijnen, Mark, Bruneteau, Frederic, Trum, Jeroen
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US12/736,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,114 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322, 340901-905, 340933, 340938, 340988-996, 705 13, 455 99, 4554561-4566
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device including a processor, a location determining device to determine a geographical location of the device and a communication device to wirelessly transmit data. In at least one embodiment, the processor is arranged to determine when the device is located in a vehicle which has vacated a parking place and, in response, to transmit a message via the communication device indicating a location of the parking place.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

a processor;

a location determining device to determine a geographical location of the device; and

a communication device to wirelessly transmit data;

the processor being arranged to determine when the portable device is located in a vehicle which has vacated a parking place by determining when a location of the portable device begins to change from a stationary location at more than a first predetermined non-zero rate within a predetermined distance from the stationary location; and

in response to determining that the portable device is located in a vehicle which has vacated a parking place, transmit a message via the communication device indicating a location of the parking place and a parking group identifier, the parking group identifier indicating that information about the parking place is only to be forwarded to members of a specified group.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine when the portable device is located in the vehicle which has vacated the parking place when a location of the portable device begins to change at more than the first non-zero predetermined rate from a stationary location at which the portable device entered a low-power state from an operational state and then re-entered the operational state.

3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine when the portable device is located in a vehicle which has vacated the parking place when the stationary location is identified in map data stored in a memory as a parking location.

4. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine when the portable device is located in a vehicle which has vacated the parking place according, at least partly, to at least one of an indication that the portable device is held upon a support within the vehicle and information received from the vehicle indicating a status of one or more sub-systems of the vehicle.

5. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the portable device is arranged to transmit the message indicating the location of the vacated parking place comprising time information indicating a time at which the vehicle vacated the parking place.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the portable device is a navigation device comprising a parking place notification module arranged to determine when the navigation device is located in the vehicle which vacates the car parking place and, in response to determining that the navigation device is located in the vehicle which has vacated a parking place, to transmit the message indicating a location of the parking place via the communication device.

7. The navigation device of claim 6, wherein the parking place notification module is arranged to determine that the parking place is a specified parking place and to transmit the message containing the parking group identifier.

8. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further arranged to determine whether a distance between a location where the portable device is powered-off and a location where the portable device is powered-on again is less than a predetermined amount.

9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein said predetermined non-zero rate and said predetermined distance are selected to permit distinction between the portable device being carried by a person and within a vehicle.

10. A method for use in a portable navigation device, comprising:

determining when a vehicle in which the navigation device is located vacates a parking place by determining when a location of the device begins to change from a stationary location at more than a first predetermined non-zero rate within a predetermined distance from the stationary location; and

in response to determining that the device is located in a vehicle which has vacated a parking place, wirelessly transmitting a parking place available message indicating a location of the parking place and a parking group identifier, the parking group identifier indicating that information about the parking place is only to be forwarded to members of a specified group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining when the vehicle vacates a parking place is based, at least in part, on a determination that the navigation device entered a low-power state from an operational state and then re-entered the operational state at the stationary location.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the location of the parking place corresponds to a location of a parking place according to map data stored in a memory.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the message indicating the location of the vacated parking place comprises time information indicating a time at which the vehicle vacated the parking place.

14. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

determining whether a distance between a location where the device is powered-off and a location where the device is powered-on again is less than a predetermined amount.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined non-zero rate and said predetermined distance are selected to permit distinction between the portable device being carried by a person and within a vehicle.